Apparatus for fixing a structural element to a frame bar



' lll l llluhl I Feb. 19, 1957 2,781,681

E. KOLLER APPARATUS FOR FIXING A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT TO A FRAME .BAR

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 24. 1953 Feb. 19, 1957 E. KOLLER 2,781,631 APPARATUS FOR FIXING A s'mucwm. ELEMENT TO A FRAME BAR Filed July 24; 1953 -4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .4 In I! 1 I. 1

Feb. 19, 1957 E. KOLLER 2,731,681

APPARATUS FOR FIXING A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT TO A FRAME BAR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 24. 1953 i w 1 a m 20..., c ig:zf fw 5 E. KOLLER 2,781,681 APPARATUS FOR FIXING A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT TO A FRAME BAR Feb. 19, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 24, 1953 FIG.5.

United Sttes APPARATUS FOR FIXING A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT TO A FRAME BAR Ernst Koller, Basel, Switzerland Application July 24, 1953, Serial No. 370,015

2 Claims. (Cl. 81-15) for fixing a structural element to a frame bar by local indentation of the edges of two longitudinal channels of said bar, the channels being disposed opposite one another with the open sides facing one another. Primarily, the present, invention comprises a support mounted on a fixed frame and adapted to be applied to said frame bar and a bending, crimping or other type of work engaging plate or member movably mounted on this frame, said member being provided at a place opposite the said support with two pressing edges which are spaced apart at a distance corresponding to the spacing of the said channel edges, the member being so guided on the fixed frame that it is adapted to be brought with said pressing edges bearing against the said channel edges. The apparatus further comprises a pressing device for moving said member up to these channel edges and for indenting said edges by said pressing edges. By means of such an apparatus, a structural element inserted into the said channels can be secured against displacement in the channels in an ex-. tremely simple manner, in that by means of this apparatus, the channel edges at a position located at the end or opposite a recess of the structural element are so pressed inwardly that .a further displacement of the structural element'is'no longer possible owing to the deformed edges of the channel. By being given a suitable construction, this apparatus can be easily manipulated and oflight weight, and can be operated easily by one workman so that the fixing of the structural element at the fixing position can be carried out directly on the site. The apparatus may also be so constructed that it can be operated simply by manual force, at least one pressing lever being pivotally mounted on the fixed frame, which lever so influences said cam member that by pivoting this lever in one direction, the member positively carries out the movement necessary for indenting the edges of the channels. The apparatus is particularly suitable for fixing structural elements in door and window frames, for example, for producing the corner connect-ion of such frames or also for fixing separate cross-bars, intermediate window strips or the like. "I

One constructional example of" such an apparatus is.

illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein: V

Figure 1 shows a frame bar of awindow or door with atent O ice Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line B-B of Figure 3.

As will be seen more particularly from Figures 2 and 5, the apparatus comprises a fixed frame consisting of two parallel bearing plates 1 and 2, and also an angle-shaped spacing member which is disposed between the said plates and which has a long vertical limb 3 and a short horizontal limb 4. The spacing member is located directly at that margin of the bearing plates 1 and 2 which is on the right in Figure 2' and is rigidly connected with the said plates 1 and 2 by four countersunk rivets 5 extending therethrough.

The frame is'forrned in the lower central portion with an aperture 6 which is so fashioned that the frame bar 7 to be operated on is adapted to be introduced through this aperture from the left-hand side from below (referring to Figure 2) and into the position illustrated, the two plates 1 and 2 and the horizontal limb 4 of the spacing member being formed as a support 8 for the positioning of the frame bar 7. This shaping is conditioned by the fact that the frame bar comprises at the upper end a flange 9 projecting fromeach side and two grooves or channels 10 and 11 on each side of the central web, which channels are opposite one another and are open on the sides facing one another. As will be seen, the support 8 is cut away in such manner that its end is adapted to be inserted as far as the web and between the edges of the channels on the right-hand side of the frame bar. The edges of the channels on the left-hand side of the bar are indicated at 12 and 13.

Fitted into the frame above the aperture 6 is the pivot pin 14. Pivotally mounted on this pivot pin 14 is the bearing lug 15 of a bending, crimping or other type of work engaging plate or member 16, which is positioned between the two bearing plates 1 and 2 and is under the action of a return spring 17 which is connected fast to the frame at one end by means of a pin 18 passing through the plates and is connected to the member 16 at the other end by means of a screw 19. The spring is in the form of a tension spring and has the tendency to hold the cam member resiliently in the rest position shown in Figure 2 when no force is applied to it. At a point opposite the support, the member 16 is made wedge-shaped, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the wedge terminating in a blunt wedge-like edge 20. As shown in Figure 2, the two ends of the said edge 20 are bevelled andformed as pressing edges 21. Between its pivot pin 14 and the pressing edges 21, the member 16 is formed with a recess 22. The recess 22 is of such a size that upon rocking the-member 16 in the direction of the arrow 23, the recess 22 engages surface 26 extending eccentrically with respect to the pivot pin 25. The free end of the lever 24 is constructed the apparatus disposed in'the engaging position,'this view being partly in section on the line 0-0 of Figure 4.

Figure 2 is a viewofthe apparatus in the inoperative 1 position with the front plate partly broken away andwith the support partly in section according to the line A--A of Figure 1. 4 v p 1 Figure 3 is a view of the apparatus similar to that of Figure 2, but afteractuation of the setting lever.

Figure 4 is a View of the apparatus similar to those shown in Figures 2 and3, but after both the setting lever and the pressing'lever have been actuated.

as a handle 27. The cam surface 26 is so formed that uponrocking the setting lever 24 from the rest position shown in Figure 2 in the directionof rotation indicated by thearrow 28, the cam surface cooperateswith theback 29 of the member 16 and,sliding along said back, rocks the member 16 in the direction of the arrow 23 fromthe rest position shown in Figure 2 into the position shown in Figure 3, in which the pressing edges 21 are guided directly up to the edges 12 and'13 of the frame bar 7.

The spacing of the pressing edges 21- from the pivot pin 14 of the member 16 is so chosen that the pressing edges arepositioned on the channel edges 12 and 13 in the position-shown in Figure 3.

At a point of the fixed frame which is opposite the support 8, there is also mounted a pressing lever 31 which is adapted to pivot about a pin 30. The pivot pin 30 extends through the plates 1 and 2 and the bearing lug of the lever 31 is arranged between the two plates. This bearing lug again forms a cam surface 32 which extends eccentrically in relation to the pivot pin but which, however, differs from the cam surface 26 of the setting lever 24 by the fact that it has a smaller eccentricity. The free end of the lever 31 is formed as a handle 33. In the rest position, the pressing lever 31 has the initial position shown in Figures 2 and 3. In this position, the cam surface 32 does not prevent the member 16 from being rocked from the rest position shown in Figure 2 into the position according to Figure 3, and vice versa.

After the member 16 has been moved to the position according to Figure 3 by actuation of the setting lever 24, the pressing lever 31 is swung from the rest position shown in Figures 2 and 3 in the direction of the arrow 34 and into the end position shown in Figure 4, so that as the cam surface slides on the back 29 of the member 16, the latter is forced from the position shown in Figure 3 into the end position shown in Figure 4.

Having regard to the said comparatively'small eccentricity of the cam surface 32 and to'the comparatively long lever arm which the point of contact of the cam surface 32 with the back 29 of the member 16 forms with respect to the pivotal axis 14 of the member 16, the swinging of the member 16 takes place with a comparatively large transmission ratio, so that the pressure force exerted by the pressing edges 21 on the channel edges 12 and 13 is comparatively large, and therefore, by suitable dimensioning of the lever arm of the lever 31 and of the lever arm of the member 16, a sufiicient bearing pressure can be produced by manual force in order without effort to force the edges 12 and 13 into the channel in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 4, the workman operating the lever 31 with one hand.

In contrast to the pressing lever 31, the eccentricity of the cam surface 26 of the setting lever 24 is, as already stated, made considerably larger. Furthermore, the lever arm of the point of contact of the cam surface 26 with the back 29 of the member 16 is considerably smaller in relation to the pivot axis 14 of the member 16 than in relation to the lever 31, so that the transmission ratio for the movement of the member 16 by swinging the lever 24 is considerably smaller than with the lever 31. Accordingly, a comparatively small rocking movement of the lever 24 results in a comparatively large rocking movement of the member 16. It is clear from this that the setting lever 24 is adapted in the best possible manner to the conditions which are required for bringing the cam member up to the channel edges 12 and 13, since for this purpose no great power is to be transmitted to the member 16, but only a comparatively large rocking angle of this member has to be obtained in order to move the latter in a simple idle movement up to the point of engagement with the frame bar. On the other hand, the transmission ratios for the lever 31 are to be arranged for a large power transmission and correspondingly small rocking angle of the member 16, so that t. e channel edges 12 and 13 can be indented without the operator using any great force.

In order to be able to hold the apparatus with one hand while it is being used, the ire. ie has fixed thereto a projecting handle 35. As shown in Figure 5, this handle is on the outside of the plate 2 and is preferably welded to p be used for producing a lock against displacements of a structural part 36 which is inserted in the channels 10 and 1. of the frame bar 7. The structural part 36 may, for example, be the flange of a hinge 37 in a door or window frame. The apparatus is positioned from above on the horizontally supported frame, the opening 6 taking upa position over the flanges 9 of the bar 7. By carrying out at the same time a certain rocking movement, it is possible to insert a member 36 through the opening 6 into the frame bar 7 in the position shown in Figure 2. The apparatus is then displaced longitudinally of the frame bar 7 until the wedge-shaped edge 20 is disposed directly behind one of the free ends of the structural parts 36. The operator now grips the apparatus in one hand, using the handle 35, and with the other hand successively operates first the second lever 24 and then the pressing lever 31, whereby the edges 12.and 13 of the channels are pressed in, as will be seen in Figures 1 and 4. By this means, the structural parts 36 are secured against displacements longitudinally of the channel. The apparatus is then displaced lengthwise along the frame bar 7 until the edge 20 is located directly behind the other free end of the member 36. As will be seen from Figure 1, the channel edges 12 and 13 are again indented by operating the apparatus. By this means, the structural part 36 is held against displacement in both directions.

It is not absolutely necessary to effect the locking of any one structural part against longitudinal displacements in the channels of the frame bar by indenting edges of said channels on both sides of said element, but it is also possible to conceive that the locking of an element against longitudinal displacement can be achieved by a locking action on one side, this being effected by that portion of the element which is fitted so as to be longitudinally displaceable in the longitudinal channels of the frame bar having marginal recesses on opposite parts thereof located in the channels, in which recesses the channel edges are locally pressed in by means of the wedge-shaped edges of the apparatus. Such indentations then secure the structural elements against displacements in both directions. Such a locking arrangement is, for example, particularly expedient for corner connections of frames in which two frame bars abutting one another at the corner in the usual manner at an angle of 45 are connected by a common corner angle member which is fitted in the longitudinal channels of the frame bars. In order to connect the structural element consisting of an angle member to the bars, both limbs of this angle-shaped structural element are each provided with a pair of such marginal recesses into which the edges of the channels are then pressed by means of the apparatus. There is obviously nothing to prevent two or more pairs of such marginal recesses or indentations being provided and a two-fold or three-fold locking action being effected.

In all these cases, however, care is to be taken that the edge 20 of the member 16 does not pass between the edges 21, since otherwise it would hear on the structural parts to be secured during the indentation of the channel edges before the edges are pressed in to a sufiicient depth into the marginal recesses of the structural elements. The pressing edges .21 are therefore allowed to project to a suitable degree beyond the edge 20, or the wedge of the member 16 between the two pressing edges 21 is formed with a suitable cut-out.

What I claim is:

1. A tool arrangement comprising, in combination, a supporting means having a work piece receiving portion adapted to receive and support a work piece; a work too] member turnably mounted on said supporting means for turning movement from an inoperative position to an engaging position and from there to a Working position, said work tool member having a working portion adapted to engage the work piece and two cam surface portions spaced from said working portion; manually operable first moving means mounted on said supporting means and having a cam surface adapted to engage one of said cam surface portions of said work tool member for turning said work tool member from said inoperative position thereof to said engaging position thereof, said first moving means being adapted to multiply an input force applied thereto by a predetermined factor; and manually operable second moving means independent of said first moving means, said second moving means being mounted on said supporting means and having a cam surface adapted to engage the other of said cam surface portions of said work tool member for turning said work tool member from said engaging position thereof to said Working position thereof, said second moving means being adapted to multiply an input force applied thereto by a factor greater than said predetermined factor.

2. A tool arrangement comprising, in combination, a supporting means having a work piece receiving portion adapted to receive and support a work piece; a work tool member turnably mounted on said supporting means for turning movement about a predetermined axis of rotation from an inoperative position to an engaging position and from there to a working position, said Work tool member having a Working portion adapted to engage the work piece and two cam surface portions spaced from said working position; manually operable first moving means turnably mounted on said supporting means for turning movement about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said predetermined axis of rotation and having a cam surface adapted to engage one of said cam surface portions of said work tool member for turning said work tool member from said inoperative position thereof to said engaging position thereof, said first moving means being adapted to multiply an input force applied thereto by a predetermined factor; and manually operable second moving means independent of said first moving means, said second moving means being turnably mounted on said supporting means for turning movement about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said predetermined axis of rotation and having a cam surface adapted to engage the other of said cam surface portions of said Work tool member'for turning said work tool member from said engaging position thereof to said working position thereof, said second moving means being adapted to multiply an input force applied thereto by a factor greater than said predetermined factor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 687,177 Caldwell Nov. 19, 1901 732,850 Hayden July 7, 1903 1,411,709 Cary Apr. 4, 1922 1,552,722 Melton Sept. 8, 1925 1,722,279 Davis July 30, 1929 1,793,990 Bayer Feb. 24, 1931 2,602,358 Lile July 8, 1952 2,701,492 Johnson Feb. 8, 1955 

